Unsatisfied
My foot is wrapped. I don't like it.
My foot is wrapped to see if the wrap helps and if the wrap helps I'll get custom orthotics. Or prescription orthotics.
The more I think about it, the less I like the idea.
Here's why: Going back to early 2005. I'd made a new year's resolution to run a marathon. I was really out of shape. One day as part of getting in shape, I went and played basketball. I was a beast. Rebounds, blocked shots, general intimidation.
The next day, the rest of the week and the week after, my knee hurt. So I went to see my primary care doctor.
I told the doctor, sheepishly, about my hopes of running a marathon. I doubt he took me seriously.
But he gave me very valuable advice. He told me that my body wasn't as young as it used to be. It takes longer to bounce back he said. Get started slowly.
And here's the point of this story. I asked about a knee brace. He said maybe it might help. But it's better not to get dependent on it because that would make the knee weaker.
And so I never actually went and got a knee brace. I started running slowly but surely. And I can say quite definitively that my knees bothered me much, much more before I ever started running. Now that I've become a runner, my knees feel great.
This relates to the orthotic, the prospect of a prescription orthotic, in that I'd rather find a way to make my foot stronger as opposed to wearing a tool in my shoe to change the way I walk and run.
Thus I'm unsatisfied with my visit to the foot doctor and a little unsure of what I want to do next.
My foot is wrapped to see if the wrap helps and if the wrap helps I'll get custom orthotics. Or prescription orthotics.
The more I think about it, the less I like the idea.
Here's why: Going back to early 2005. I'd made a new year's resolution to run a marathon. I was really out of shape. One day as part of getting in shape, I went and played basketball. I was a beast. Rebounds, blocked shots, general intimidation.
The next day, the rest of the week and the week after, my knee hurt. So I went to see my primary care doctor.
I told the doctor, sheepishly, about my hopes of running a marathon. I doubt he took me seriously.
But he gave me very valuable advice. He told me that my body wasn't as young as it used to be. It takes longer to bounce back he said. Get started slowly.
And here's the point of this story. I asked about a knee brace. He said maybe it might help. But it's better not to get dependent on it because that would make the knee weaker.
And so I never actually went and got a knee brace. I started running slowly but surely. And I can say quite definitively that my knees bothered me much, much more before I ever started running. Now that I've become a runner, my knees feel great.
This relates to the orthotic, the prospect of a prescription orthotic, in that I'd rather find a way to make my foot stronger as opposed to wearing a tool in my shoe to change the way I walk and run.
Thus I'm unsatisfied with my visit to the foot doctor and a little unsure of what I want to do next.
posted by bl at 9:35 pm
7 Comments:
Plenty of rest. Plenty of rehab stretches and exercise. Wrap your foot so it heals. Don't push yourself. Your job now is to heal.
But I don't understand.
How do rehab stretches and exercise relate to rest?
My foot doctor didn't give me any rehab stretches or exercises to do.
He didn't really talk about healing. He talked about orthotics. Really, I guess that's why I'm unsatisfied, I guess.
That is a reason to be unsatisfied.
I was supposed to rest my foot to let it heal--that meant don't run (don't do what hurt it to begin with). But I was supposed to stretch out the tendons and strengthen the foot to help prevent the injury from reoccuring.
I'd ask for a referral to a sports medicine doctor or physical therapist. The problem with regular doctors is, they're used to people who don't exercise, who just want to get rid of pain and to do so quickly. They're not used to the special needs of people who actually want their body to function properly long-term, not just be pain-free now.
If there's someone at the Y, like a physical trainer, maybe you could ask some advice about how to find out more.
-Rebecca
Are the orthotics to correct something like overpronation or supination? If so, my understanding is that it's not a matter so much of exercises to correct, but rather a question of stability/motion control shoes or orthotics. If it's that kind of problem, I don't think (though I'm not at all an expert) that it's something you can necessarily train yourself to fix.
But yeah, I'd talk to a sports medicine doctor or at least try to find a GP who's a runner.
Well, I took the wrapping off my foot today and if I get a chance, I'll call the doctor's office tomorrow.
If my foot feels better unwrapped, then it's just common sense that I should unwrap it. We'll see how it goes.
I'm pretty sure my shoes are motion control shoes. Asics Gel Kayanos. Although it's definitely time for new shoes as well so I may have a long talk with my friendly neighborhood running shoe saleslady.
Why don't you talk to Jon?
I've sent an e-mail to Dr. Jon.
We'll see what he says.
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